Improvement in corn-husking implements



M. 0. PURSE. GQrn-HuSking Implement.

' Patented Oct. 8,1878.

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MARCUS C. PEARSE, OF TABOR, IOIVA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-HUSKING IMPLEMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,843, dated October 9, 1878; application filed March 7, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, M. O. PEARSE, of Tabor, in the county of Fremont and State of Iowa, have invented an Improved Oorn-Husking Device, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to that class of devices that are held in the hand and used to pierce and open the husks that envelop an ear of corn; and it consists in the combination of a concavo-convex handle formed with a curved guard and hooks, a steel pin formed with bent and twisted point or hook and secured in the concavity of the handle, and a strap, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure 1 of my drawing is a longitudinal half-section of my improved corn-husking device, and illustrates its construction. Fig. 2 is a perspective illustrating the manner in which it is worn and operated.

a a are the handle and base, conforming in length with the width of the hand. It is made of sheet metal, widest in its central portion and concave on its outside, where the husking-pin is attached. It is curved upward and backward at its front end to form a guard, b, for the forefinger of the hand to rest against and press on when the pin is thrust into the corn-husk.

The main portion of the handle a is made concave in its cross-section, so as to conform as near as possible to the position of the fingers while using the implement, and present no sharp edges to the hand or fingers.

c is a hook formed integral with the combined handle and guard at b on the end of the guard b. d is a hook formed integral with the rear end of the handle a. g is the body of a steel pin riveted to the longitudinal center of the concave plate and handle a. h is the curved point of the steel pin, projecting be yond the finger-guard b in such a manner and position relative to the thumb of the operator that the convex end of the thumb and the concave of the curved point will readily co-operate like mating jaws in seizing the husks as required to strip them from the corn after being opened and separated at their top ends by means of the pin being thrust through to tear their closely-folded ends apart.

It will be noticed that the curved point It is not only bent in hook form, but also twisted to one side, so as to conform to the shape of the thumb at the point where the thumb will come in contact with the hook. In using the implement the hook h will not come in the center of the thumb, but will naturally fall near the outer side thereof; and hence the importance of twisting the hook to correspond with the shape of the thumb at that point will be readily seen.

m is an adjustable flexible strap, designed to go over the back of the hand to retain the husking-pin in proper place when the grasp upon the handle is relaxed by opening the hand. It has a series of perforations, l 2,3, in one end, by means of which it is attached and adjusted to the handle by inserting the hook d into one of the series. By means of a single hole in its opposite end it is secured to the hook c.

I am fully aware that a corn-husking implement consisting of a curved hook, combined with devices for holding the same on the hand, is not new, and I do not claim such, broadly, as my invention.

I claim- The combination of the concavo convex handle a, formed with the curved guard 12 and hooks c d, the steel pin g, formed with the bent and twisted point or book h and secured in the concavity of the handle, and the strap m, all constructed substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

MAROUS O. IEARSE.

'itnesses:

JOHN H. PERKINS, WILLIAM FULLER. 

